Improved animal-trap



v parts.

waited tait?,

aient @alpines Leiters. Patent N0. 107,292

, d tcll September 13, 1870.

IMPRQVED .ANIMAL-TRAP.

l f The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same To all whom it Amay concern.

Be it known that I, Janus H. Ricuannsomof Westport, in the .county ofJackson and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementin Animal-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin theart to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part oi' this specification.

Figure 1 is a detail sectional view ot' my improved trap, taken throughthe line a; af, iig. 2.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of the same, taken through the liney y, iig. 1.

Similar letters ot' reference My invention has for its object to furnishan im proved trap for catching game and other animals, and which shallbe reliable and effective in operation, and at the same timeself-setting; and

lt consists in the construction and combination of the various parts of'the trap, as hereinafter more fully described. -A

A is the bottom of the ltrap, to which, at its rear edge, is attaclicdavertical frame, B.

G is the top of the trap, the rear part of which is securely attached tothe top of the vertical frame B, and which is iliade smaller than thebottom A, as shown in tiff. 2:

To the upper part of the vertical frame B, beneath the top C, isattached a box or casing, l), which incloses thc coiled spring E.

One end of the coiled spring E is secured to a bolt pass-ing through andsecured to the sides of the box or easing D, and its other end issecured to a shaft, F, thatv revolves in bearings inthe sides oi the boxorv casing 1).

G is-the front, andll I are the cud shutters, which are pivoted orhinged at their upper edges to the top G, and the adjacent edges ofwhich are made inclined,

so that'jwheu closed down against the edges of thc bottom A, the saidshutters may be inclined something like a roof.

g h are levers formed upon or attachcd'to the shutters G-.H vI, thethree free ends of which, when the shutters are raised, nea-rl)7 meet,as shown in iig. 1.

To the free ends of the leversg h are detachably and adjustably pivotedthe upper parts of the connecting-bars J K L, the lower ends ot whichare pivoted to the free ends ofthe lever M, the other end ot' which ispivoted to the post of'the vertical frame B, and to its middle part ispivoted the upper end ot' the bar N,

the lower cud of which is pivoted tothe wheel O, attached to the outerendet the shaft F by means-of a crank-pin, several holes being made insaid wheel at diiereut distances from its center, so that, by adjustindicate coricsponding ing the position of the said piu, the shut-terszGH may be raised more or less when the trap is set.

Upon the edge of the wheel O is formedv a 'cam or projecting tooth, o',which, ateach halt` revolution'ot the wheel O and shaft F, catches upona notch in the triggers or levers P Q, to lock the shutters G H Ialternately open and closed.

` The levers P Q are pivoted to the vertical frame B, l

orto the side of the box D, the,one above and the other below the wheelO, and are made exactly alike, that is to say, with two holes for thepivoting-screws, with 'a notch upon their upper edges, and another notchupon their lower edges, and with the forward part of their lower edges,that rest upon the triplevers, straight, as shown. This enables thelevers to be both made with the same tool, and enables them to bcexchanged, should they become worn.

R is a weight-box, provided with a detachable cover,

and hung, by means of the semicircular rod S, from the lever M, topartially balance the shutters G H' I. One end ot' the rod S is pivotedto the lever M, near one end, and its other end has a hook formed uponit., which hooksl into a staple attached to. the said vlever M, near itsother end. By this arrangement, as the shutters are lowered, the weightmoves back toward the pivoted end or fnlcrum ofthe said `lever M, to allow the shutters to beheld more lrmly closed, and,as

the shutters are raised, the said weight moves toward the free end ofthesaid lever M, to more evenly balance the said shutters.

T. is the drop or trip plat-form, the rear edge of which vis pivoted tothev base iiame of the trap, and the middle part of its rear side is cutaway to obtain space for the movement of the bait-box U, which is madewith rearwardly-projecting arms V, formed upon or attached to the endsof its bottom, the rear ends of which are pivoted'to the same rod thatpivots the platform T to the base frame of the trap.

Wis a triangular lever, pivoted to the vertical frame l), and the upperedge ofthe forward arm of which is concaved, as shown in fig. 2, toreceive a piu att-ached tothe platform T, so that the lever lV may beoperated by the downward movement of the said platform. 'lhe rear arm ofthe lever W vpasses beneath the straight lower edge of the lower triggeror lever Q, so that the downward movement of the platforml will releasethe wheel O, and-allow the shutters to drop or close, where the)v areheld locked by the trigger or 'lever l catching upon the said wheel 0.

The arms V ol' the bait-box U are 'connected with the level' W by ashort connecting-rod, X, so that, as the platform l moves downward, itraises the open mouth of the bait-box against the bottom ot' the box D,so that the animals can never get at the bait. As the. trap is again setthe bait-box U is again lowered to expose the bait, thel mouth of thebait-box, when lowered, being about upon a lineiwith the platlorm'l.

Y is a passage way, made oi" wire or rods, and attached to the openingin the rear side oi" the trap, and which is closed by the wire dropgates0r doors A' B'.

The drop-gate A' is pivoted to the vertical tia-me ll hy a rod passingthrough holes in the upwardly-projecting side bars of the said gate A..The drop-gate Il' is pivoted to the upper part ofthe sido-,bars oi' thegate A', and its upper end projects so aste rest against the rear sideof the trap, so as to prevent the back` ward movement of the said gate,so` that, should the caged animal succeed in raising the door A', hecannot open the door B', and escape through the trap,

`(,l is a lever, which is pivoted to the vertical frame l or box D ot'the trap, and the upper edge ofthe inner end of which is eoncaved, toreceive a pin or rod attached to the upper ends ot' the side bars ot thedoor A'. The outer end of the lever C' passes beneath the straight loweredge of the upper trigger or lever l. `By this construction, as theanimal is caught by the descent ofthe shutters G H I, he sees a lightthrough `the passage way Y, and, seeking to escape, he rushes throughsaid passage way, raising the' doors A and B', and tinds himseli'in thewire cage 1)'. Should `the animal hesitate or stop, as he is forcinghis` way past the doors AB', the doeil B' dropsupon him, and the sharppoints upon its lower end preventhis ret-urn, and atthe same time, byprieking him, cause him to go on.

The wire cage D' is secured to the passage way Y hv a hook, E', pivotedto the trame-work ot' the trap.

The wire cage D is provided with a sliding door, 1", which, when thetrap is detached from the cage, is inserted in the opening ot said cage,and secured hy the fastening G'.

To the inner end ofthe shaft F is'attaehed a wheel, H', which is huldein two parts, the inner part being made with a projecting circularshoulder for the cord .1.' to he wound upon, and a projection toreceive. and hold the said cord.

The cord l' passes up through a hole in the stationary top C of thetrap, and passes over a pulley, J', the journals of which revolveinhearings in the tin-iced end of the screw-ln'acket K'.

The pulley J .is provided with a case or plates, L', to keep the cordfrom getting ont of the groove ot" -said pulley.

The bracket K' may be screwed into the top ot apo'st, M', secured to thetop ot' the trap, or it may be screwed into the ceiling or frame oi theroom in which the trap is set. v

'lo the end of the cord l' is attached a, weight, N', so that theoperating mechanism oi" the trap may he operated by the spring E, or bythe weight N', 01 hy the two in conjunction, as may be desired orconvenient.

llhe operating parts at the rear side ofthe trap may he covered andprotected by a board, O', notched to receive the passage way Y, andpivoted to the frameworltot' the trap, vso that it may be turned up outoi' the wayto give convenient access to said parts when required. o v

It should he observedthatnone, two, or all three of the shutters Gr H Imay be used as may be required or according to the character ot' theanimal trapped i'm.

Having thus described my invention, v

I. claim as ne and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent-w l. Thecombination ofthe hase A, vertical frame B, box l), shaft lf, coiledspring E, top U, shut-ters G H I, levers y' lt i', connecting-bars J KL, lever M, connecting-har N, wheel O o', seltadjusting weight R S,levers or triggers Il. (L), platform T, bait-box U V, lever \V, passageway Y, drop-doors A B', lever C', and cage D', provided with a door, F',and fastening, G', with each other, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purp'os(J set forth.

LZ. The combination ot' the weight N', cord l', pulley J' l' L', andwheel Il with the shaft and mechanism from which the shut-ters G H I areoperated, substantially as herein shown and described, and for thepurpose set forth.

JAMES H. RYCHARDSON.

Witnesses Jeux lxnnns, Jamas 1:. kloon.

